To Be Happy at Work, Take a Breath

Happiness at work may sound like an oxymoron—work, after all, is the enemy of leisure time, and the daily grind consumes a greater share of our waking hours than ever before.

Since that’s the case, we might as well feel good at the office, says Sharon Salzberg, an author, longtime meditation teacher and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. The writer of “Real Happiness” and “Love Your Enemies” decided to write about work after hearing readers describe their struggles in achieving happiness. “Some of people’s most provocative, challenging issues had to do with work,” she says.

The result, “Happiness at Work,” teaches cubicle-dwellers how to improve the workday through meditation, compassion, mindfulness and resilience. (Although, says Salzberg, “when I first envisioned this book, I planned out sections titled ‘burnout,’ ‘meaninglessness,’ ‘distraction,’ and so on. My editor paled, and suggested we put it in a more positive frame.”) Happiness is not the same thing as avoiding conflict at work; often, she writes, just taking a moment to breathe can transform a rotten day. After the jump, tips from Salzberg on ways to make the office a happy place.